


Sweet 16

by clgfanfic



Category: War of the Worlds (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-21
Updated: 2013-02-21
Packaged: 2017-12-03 04:18:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/694033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/clgfanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's Debi's birthday...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sweet 16

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in the zine Green Floating Weirdness #21 under the pen name Gillian Holt.

_"Sometimes I feel like a fairy tale princess."_

 

          Debi sat at the patio table, her calculus homework lying forgotten for the time being as she debated what the Blackwood Project was planning for her birthday this year.  She smiled, remembering the beautiful ribbon dress the colonel's mother had sent her on her twelfth birthday, her first there at the Cottage, four years ago.[1]  The smile faded.  Hannah Ironhorse had passed away unexpectedly eight months earlier, at the very end of 1991, and she still missed the woman and their biweekly talks on the phone.

          The following year, her thirteenth birthday had to be postponed when the aliens ran them off the road and the colonel had nearly gotten himself killed in the Arizona desert.[3]  Just getting him back safe and sound was all she had wanted and, thankfully, she had gotten it.  But the following year, to make up for her failed thirteenth, they all went back to Tucson.  After a short visit with her aunt and uncle, they spent the day at Old Tucson for her birthday.  She grinned.  It had been a blast.  She could still remember the expression on the colonel's face when he and Harrison had been picked to participate in the stunt show.

          And then there had been her fifteenth birthday last year.[5]  The Omegans had bought her a wind surfer, and the colonel had arranged for her to spend a semester studying in Europe.  The trip had been wonderful, even if their teacher had gotten sick toward the end and they had to come home two weeks early.

She and her mother had flown back to Paris right after Christmas, Harrison, Norton and the Colonel joining them two days later.  But that trip had been cut short, too, when the news arrived of Hannah Ironhorse's death at the end December.

          And now, eight months later, things hadn't really improved.  She knew 1992 had been a difficult year for the members of the Blackwood Project, and wished, not for the first time, that she could do more to help, but they consistently kept her at arms length from their war with the aliens.

 _But not for much longer_ , she vowed silently.  She knew karate, she knew how to shoot, how to drive, and how to do a lot of other things.  As soon as she turned eighteen she was joining the fight, whether or not they wanted her to.  Sooner, if she got her way.

But she knew sixteen wasn't going to cut it.  She was still a kid in their eyes.

She looked down at her homework and scribbled down the answer to the next homework question before dropping her pencil into the crack of the open book and leaning back in her chair with a heavy sigh.

What _were_ they going to get her this year?

          She had a pretty good idea what the Omegans would pick.  She had been learning how to scuba dive, thanks to their instruction, and thought they might just get her some gear of her own.  Which would be just great as far as Debi was concerned.  The peace she felt exploring under the waves was intoxicating, and she planned to do a lot more of it, if she could find the time.

          So that left Mrs. Pennyworth, Norton, Harrison, her mom and the colonel.

          Her brow furrowed as she tried to imagine what each of the five might come up with, but several minutes later she was still at a complete loss.  She hadn't really come up with anything herself, so she hadn't been able to drop any hints, although Mrs. Pennyworth would probably stick with some jewelry, a tradition that had started their second Christmas there.

          She reached out and finished off what was left of her tepid coffee, then went back to her homework.  The sooner the calculus was done, the sooner she could take Belle out for a gallop on the beach.  This year she would just have to wait and see what the rest of the Project came up with.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          As the day of her birthday drew closer, Debi noticed that everyone was acting stranger than usual which, in her book, was pretty weird.  There were more whispered conversations that broke off abruptly whenever she appeared, and they were all watching her, small, secret smiles on their faces.

It was damned annoying, she decided, but it boded well for an interesting birthday, so she ignored it all as best she could and went about her life like nothing out of the ordinary was going on.

          But in her bedroom, Debi checked the calendar for the third time that day, even though she knew perfectly well there were only three days left until "B-Day."

Birthdays and Christmas had become "occasions" for the residents of the Cottage, a moment of normalcy in an otherwise crazy existence that was to be enjoyed to the fullest.  And as the only "child" in residence at the Cottage, Debi was the recipient of more than her fair share of overindulgence, and she knew it too.  Still, she appreciated what the efforts really meant – that she was well and truly loved.

They all wanted her to have a "normal" teenhood as was possible, an impossible feat, given the situation.  But they tried, and in doing so they tended to give her all the "things" she wanted.

But Debi knew that hers was anything but a "normal" childhood.  Things couldn't take away the occasional nightmare that haunted her nights – always about the aliens.

Things couldn't keep those she loved safe from harm.  Her mom, Harrison, and the Colonel had all been hurt, sometimes very badly.  Only she and Norton had been spared, and they shared a secret guilt over that fact.

And things couldn't help her become a real member of the Blackwood Project sooner, rather than later.

 _But they do help the pass the time_ , she mused.

 _Two more years_ , she promised herself.  _I have two more years, and then I'm going to be a member of this team – one way or another_.

Her mother was already talking about college, Ohio Polytechnical, to be exact, when it wasn't MIT or Cal Poly.  Harrison promised her she could get into the New Pacific Institute of Technology, if she wanted to, given her grades and his recommendation.  Norton thought she should try for a university in Europe, just for the adventure of it all.  And the colonel, although he never said so, was hoping she might pick West Point.

She had already seriously considered each suggestion, even doing her own research, and had decided on Harrison's alma mater.  Europe and Ohio were too far away from the action.  And while she loved the colonel dearly, she wanted to get into the fight against the aliens when she turned eighteen, not wait another four years while she attended the Point.  So that left The New Pacific Institute, which was also within commuting distance.

Somehow she didn't think colonel would be pleased, since Harrison would no doubt gloat over her choice, but it was the most practical solution.  And she needed a solution, because she knew her mother was going to insist that she go to college.  She was already taking college level classes at a community college an hour's drive away, but that wasn't enough.  They all wanted her to have degrees – bachelors, masters, and doctorate.

But a degree meant she would have to pick a major, and she had no idea what she wanted to focus on.  Physics was really interesting, but so was biology and computer science, and she loved history and psychology, too.  How was she supposed to pick just one?  Especially when she knew that by picking one she would be disappointing someone, because she hadn't picked _their_ field of study.

 _Maybe I'll just major in all of them_, she concluded, wondering if that were even possible.  _Probably,_ she decided, _but then I won't graduate 'til I'm eighty!_

          And she wanted to get done as quickly as possible.

          This birthday, she decided, was just a stepping stone, a mile marker she had to get past to get her closer to her real goal of helping the others fight the aliens.  It was nothing more.

          But some tiny voice in the back of her mind still wondered what gifts would be waiting for her.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          A cool autumn breeze greeted Debi the morning of her birthday.  She closed her bedroom window, then dressed and headed down to meet Sergeant Derriman behind the coach house.  She had been running with him in the mornings now for several months, and no longer had any trouble keeping up with the older soldier.  In fact, he had recently suggested that she try running with Goodson or Coleman, both of whom were faster then he was, but not as speedy as Stavrakos, Stein or the colonel.

          She had told him that she would think about, but she had no intention of changing her routine.  They both enjoyed it too much.  Besides, her mom was sweet on the sergeant, and she wanted to encourage their romance as much as she dared.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Okay, she's gone," Harrison called from his post in the living room.

          Immediately there was a flurry of activity.  Mrs. Pennyworth set the table and began preparation of Debi's favorite breakfast – fruit crêpes.  Harrison, Suzanne and Norton rushed to hang and set out the decorations in the diving room and in the living room.  And the colonel brought in the presents and arranged them in the living room.

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          Reaching the end of their run, Derriman said casually, "Why don't you stop by the coach house for a second."

          "Sure," Debi agreed with a grin.

          They stopped at the rear of the second, smaller house and stretched.

          Derriman looked over at the girl and smiled.  "You certainly are growing up."

          "Tell my mom that," she said, then rolled her eyes for emphasis.

          "Well now, little lady, I think your mother's done a fine job."

          "I know, but I want to—"  She broke off, doubting that she would find an ally to her cause.

          "I know, Button," Derriman said, using the term of endearment he reserved for her alone.  "But you're the reason they keep fighting.  If you end up out there with them, it'll take away something from their resolve."

          Debi leaned over her leg, her brow furrowing.  She had never considered that, and she would have to spend some time thinking about it.

          "With luck, this war will be won before that happens," Derriman concluded.

          Debi nodded and they finished their stretching in silence.

          Derriman stood first and offered his hand to Debi.  "Well, before you run off, why don't you come in and let the squad wish you a happy birthday."

          "You guys don't have to get me anything," Debi said.  "You all do so much already."

          "Hey, soldiers need a little inspiration too," Derriman said with a chuckle.

          Debi blushed, but didn't argue.

          They walked into the large kitchen, complete with picnic tables, only to be met by the entire squad.  "Happy birthday!" they chorused.

          Debi's cheeks turned bright red, but she smiled and said, "Thank you."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          The soldiers moved aside, revealing a mannequin wearing a silver-blue wetsuit with orange speed stripes.  There were bright orange fins, a weight belt, tank with regulator and gauges, and a matching orange facemask.

          "Wow," Debi breathed, her eyes rounded with surprise and delight.  "This is so cool!"

          "We figured it might beat you having to borrow my old stuff all the time," Coleman explained and the others nodded.

          "When can I try it out?" Debi asked.

          "How 'bout tomorrow?" Derriman suggested.  He knew what the Project members had planned for the teenager today.

          "Great!" Debi enthused.  "You guys are the greatest!" she added, giving each a hug or a kiss on the cheek.

          "You want some coffee?" Stavrakos asked.

          "Sure," Debi replied.

          "Not so fast, little lady," Derriman said.  "I think you have another engagement to get to."

          Debi looked up at the man, her expression confused.  "I do?  But we always do my party in the afternoon."

          Coleman grinned at the girl and said, "Just between you and me, they decided to try something different this year."

          "Oh," Debi replied.  "Guess I better get back then, huh?"  She looked longingly at the gear.

          "Tomorrow will be here soon enough," Derriman said, slipping an arm around her shoulder and turning her toward the door.

          "Thanks again!" Debi called.  "Tomorrow!"

          "Happy birthday!" the soldiers called back as Derriman eased her past the door.

          As soon as they were gone, Coleman barked, "Move, people!"

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          "Everybody ready?" Suzanne asked, wondering why she was feeling so excited.  But a part of her knew.  Her baby was turning sixteen.  Sweet sixteen.  Debi wasn't a child any more, she was a young woman.  A beautiful, intelligent, talented young woman, and she was so very proud of her.

          The others all nodded, waiting.

          A moment later they heard the kitchen door open.

          "Mom?"

          "In the dining room," Suzanne called, then had to cup her hand over her mouth to keep from giggling.

          Debi stepped into the room, greeted with a second resounding chorus of "Happy birthday!"  She grinned.  They looked so funny in their pointed birthday party hats.

          "Over here, young lady," Harrison said, escorting her over to the table where she took the place of honor at the head of the table.  Usually the space remained empty, having once been Mr. Kensington's seat, before he was killed.  But on special occasions the "guest of honor" was given a seat there.

          She slipped into the chair and stared at the food waiting for her.  "Mrs. Pennyworth, this looks so good!"  The crêpes looked wonderful, and she knew Norton had created a new coffee blend for her to try.

          The others sat, and within moments they were all enjoying the housekeeper's extraordinary culinary skills.

          When breakfast was finished, they all moved into the living room where Mrs. Pennyworth refilled their coffee cups, then took a seat on the sofa.

          Debi looked around the decorated room.  "Wow.  You guys didn't have to go to all this trouble," she said.  The decorations were nice, a riot of colors in the form of streamers and balloons that proclaimed "Happy Sweet 16".

          "We wanted this to be extra special," Suzanne said, giving her daughter a hug.

          "Well, come on," Norton urged, "sit down and dig in."

          "We're saving your cake until later,' Suzanne explained, "but we thought you might like to open your gifts a little earlier than usual."

          "Sure," Debi said.  "Did you know the Omegans got me scuba gear?"

          "We did," Harrison replied, smiling as he took a seat next to Mrs. Pennyworth.

          Norton rolled up to the end of the sofa to watch while Paul and Suzanne opted for the two wing-back chairs. 

          Debi sat down on the floor next to the coffee table where several wrapped box sat waiting.

          "Mrs. Pennyworth?" she asked.

          The housekeeper smiled and pointed.  "I wish I could be more creative," she apologized as Debi opened the small, but elegantly wrapped box.

          "Oh, Mrs. Pennyworth!" Debi gasped.  "These are beautiful!"

          "Let me see," Suzanne said, coming over and sitting down next to her daughter.  Debi handed her the box and the microbiologist gasped as well, then looked up at the housekeeper.  "Greta, these are magnificent," she said, reaching out to touch the teardrop-shaped blue topaz stud earrings, and the matching necklace and ring.  All of the pieces had small diamond accents and they were set in platinum.

          Mrs. Pennyworth smiled.  "I wanted to find something special.  A sixteenth birthday is a special day."

          Suzanne handed the box back to Debi, who carefully set it on the coffee table.  "Thank you so much," she said, getting up and going over to give the older woman a hug.

          "You're very welcome," Mrs. Pennyworth replied.  "Wear them in good health."

          Debi returned to her seat on the floor and reached for another box, checking the tag first.  "Harrison," she read, then tore it open.  Lifting the lid of the flat box and folding back the tissue paper to find what looked like a diploma case.  She took it out and opened it.

"Oh—"  She looked at Harrison.  "For real?"

The astrophysicist smiled.  "Yep, it's for real.  You like it?"

"I love it!" Debi squealed, pushing up off the floor and rushing to Blackwood to give him a hug.  "This is soooo cool!"

Suzanne watched her daughter, looking slightly shocked.  "Harrison, what did you do?"

Blackwood just smiled, but Debi spun around and almost leaped back to her mother, holding out the item.

Suzanne opened it, her own eyes going round with surprise.  "Space Camp?"

Harrison nodded.  "It should be an amazing experience, not to mention educational.  NASA put together a heck of a program."

"Will it be safe?" Suzanne asked, looking to the colonel.

Paul nodded.  "I think so.  A couple of the Omegans will tag along."

"So, can I go?" Debi asked her mother.

Suzanne thought for a moment, then nodded.  "Why not?"

"All right!  Thanks, Mom," Debi said, giving her mother a hug, too.

"Me next," Norton said, pointing to another smallish gift lying on the table.

Debi grabbed the indicated gift and ripped off the Garfield wrapping paper.  Inside was a CD Rom, the cover of which read:  Debi Kicks– An Adventure Game.  She looked up, grinning.

"You made a new game with me?"

"Yep," Norton said, "you're the hero, or I guess I should say heroine."

"Too cool!" Debi said.

"Oh, it's better than cool," Norton said with a grin.  "I've already sold the game."

Debi's eyes went round.  "You did?"

Norton nodded.  "You're gonna be Queen of the arcade game machines in a few months, or so the folks at Baxter Games tell me.  And that from no less than Murray Bozinsky himself."

"Whoa," Debi breathed.  "Does she look like me?"

Norton's smiled widened.  "I like to think so.  Oh, and I guess I should tell you, all of the profits go into your college fund."

"Norton!" Suzanne gasped.  "That's—"

"Too much," Debi interrupted.

"Hey, my choice.  Happy birthday, kiddo."

Mother and daughter exchanged glances, both of them knowing they weren't going to change the man's mind.

"Thanks, Norton," Debi said, going over to give the computer expert his own hug.  When she stepped back she asked, "When can we play?"

Norton wagged his eyebrows at her.  "How about after you finish here?"

"Cool!"  She turned and looked at her mom, then at the colonel.  She always saved Paul for last.

"Well, I guess it's my turn," Suzanne said, getting the hint.  She reached over and took a very thin box off the coffee table and handed it to her daughter.

Debi plopped back onto the floor, opening her mother's gift with a little more care.  When she lifted the lid she found a picture of a very adult, very elegant bedroom set she had been admiring at one of the department stories in the mall.  She looked up asking, "I can get it?" she asked hopefully.

"I already did.  They'll be delivering it this weekend."

"Mom!" Debi said.  "Yes!  You're the greatest!"

Suzanne smiled.  "Well, you're growing up, and I can appreciate why you wanted to make a change."

"Thank you," the teen said, kissing her mother's cheek.  "I love you."

Suzanne smiled fondly.  "I love you too, Chicken."  Then her eyes turned shiny and she gestured to the colonel.  "But you have one more to go."

Debi looked at Ironhorse.  There were no more presents on the coffee table.

Paul stood up and walked over to Debi, then extended his hand and pulled her to her feet.  "Mine is outside," he said as he did.

Debi grinned.  "Another horse?"

The colonel shook his head.  "Two horses are more than enough for you, young lady."

Debi rolled her eyes, but she followed after him, the others trailed along behind as well.  At the front door, Paul stopped and turned to Debi.  "Close your eyes."

Debi looked a little skeptical, but she closed her eyes.

"Now, don't open them until I tell you," he told her.

"Okay."

Together, Paul and Suzanne led Debi out to the parking area between the Cottage and the coach house.  "Okay," the colonel said.

Debi opened her eyes and glanced around at her mom's maroon Taurus, Harrison's Bronco, Norton's "Green Machine" van, the colonel's black Jeep Cherokee, and, one more, a Volvo wagon in a pretty dark blue.  Something about the Volvo seemed familiar, but she knew she'd never seen it before.

The colonel fished into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys and handed them to Debi.  "The Volvo is yours," he said.

"Mine?"

Paul nodded.

"A car?"

Paul nodded again.

"My very own car?" Debi asked.

"Yes, your very own car," the colonel acknowledged, adding, "but you still have to follow all of the security rules."

Debi squealed, threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek, then took the keys and ran over to the car and unlocked the door.  Leaving the door open, she slid in behind the wheel, then reached out to touch the dashboard, the instrument panel, and finally the steering wheel.  Looking up at Paul she said, "This is _so_ cool!  I love it!"

"Just promise me you'll be careful," he said, his tone and expression serious.

"I will.  I promise," Debi said, then she looked at her mom and asked, "When can I go get my license?"

Suzanne smiled.  "We'll get that done this week."

"Okay," Debi agreed, then she looked confused.  "I didn't see this when I was running."

"The Omegans brought it out when you came inside for breakfast," Paul told her.

"Oh," she said, then realized what had been bothering her since she had seen the car.  She looked up, meeting the colonel's eyes.  "This was your mom's car, wasn't it?  She told me she'd bought a new car one of the last times we talked on the phone."

Paul nodded back to the house.

They returned inside, going back to the living room where Mrs. Pennyworth had fresh coffee waiting for them.  Debi and her mother sat on the sofa, Harrison and Paul in the wing-back chairs.  Mrs. Pennyworth left them to talk, heading for the kitchen and the breakfast dishes.

Paul took a sip of his coffee, then said, "The car was my mother's.  She bought it last year, just after Thanksgiving.  When her will was finally probated early this year, it came to me, along with the rest of her property.  I had a friend in Cherokee look after it until August, then had it shipped here for your birthday."

"But it was your mom's," Debi said.  "Don't you want it?"

Paul smiled at the teen.  "I have a car.  Besides, she'd like knowing that you have it, believe me."

Debi nodded.  "Okay.  Thank you, Colonel."

"You're welcome, Debi."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

          That night, after Debi had played her game with Norton, and after they had gone out for dinner at the Ft. Streeter Officers Club, then come home to Mrs. Pennyworth's cake – another long-standing tradition – the birthday girl went in search of the colonel.  Her mother was in her lab, Norton was working on a new set of alien transmissions that came in while they were eating, and Harrison was taking a nap.  But she knew the colonel was still up, the only question was:  where was he?

          She found him sitting in the dark, out on the patio.  The warm, late summer weather meant it was comfortable, even at close to 10 p.m.

          "Colonel?" she said softly from the open French doors.

          "Out here, Debi," he said.

          Walking out onto the patio, she took the chair next to him, and looked up at the stars.  "Do you miss her?" she asked.

          "Very much."

          "Me, too."  She sat in silence for a moment, then said, "I used to miss my dad, but I don't anymore."

          "I'm sorry about that," Paul said.

          "It's okay.  He's just my dad; an accident of biological karma."

          Ironhorse chuckled softly.  "You've been spending too much time with Mr. Drake."

          "I really appreciate the car."

          "I know you do," Paul said.

          "Was mom going to get me one?"

          "You're too smart for your own good, young lady."

          Debi grinned in the darkness.  "No.  I've just been bugging her about it since I got my permit, and I knew I was wearing her down.  But I'm really glad she got me the new bedroom set."

          "She mentioned what she was planning, and I told her about the car.  She agreed to let me give you the Volvo, so she could get the furniture set."

          "Sometimes I feel like a fairy tale princess," Debi said.  "But then I see all of you working to stop the aliens and I don't any more."

          "We'll win this thing," Paul said, his tone confident.

          "I know," she said.  "I just wish I could do more."

          "You do more than you know," Paul told her.

          She smiled.  "When I'm eighteen, will I be able to help?"

          "We'll see."

          "That means no."

          "No, it means, we'll see.  Two years is a long time.  With luck, it'll be over."

          "What about the Synth?  They're coming back, too.  At least Harrison says they are."

          "Well, they might, but we'll deal with that when, and if, it happens."

          "I just want to do my part."

          "I know," he assured her.  "And if that day comes, you will."

          "Promise?"

          "Yes," Paul replied, his tone sad.

          Debi stood and walked over to the colonel's chair, then leaned over and gave him a hug.  "I'm glad you're here," she said.  "You're a lot better dad than Cash."

          Paul wasn't sure what to say to that, so he said nothing.

          Debi stepped back, knowing she had embarrassed him.  "Thank you again."

          "You're welcome," he said, then listened to her head back into the Cottage.  He shook his head, marveling over how he had somehow become a parent without even realizing it.  "You're very welcome, Debi."

  


* * *

[1] "Lamentations"

 

[3] "Then are the Children Free" 

 

[5] "Transitions" 

 


End file.
